{"id":470,"date":"2026-05-19T22:13:10","date_gmt":"2026-05-19T22:13:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/silvybrand.com\/?p=470"},"modified":"2026-05-19T22:13:10","modified_gmt":"2026-05-19T22:13:10","slug":"meta-employees-scramble-benefits-layoffs-ai","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/silvybrand.com\/?p=470","title":{"rendered":"Meta Employees Are Scrambling to Use Up Benefits Ahead of Layoffs"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Ahead of Meta\u2019s<\/span> latest round of mass layoffs tomorrow<\/a>, some employees are deserting offices, abandoning their work, and loading up on perks they might soon lose, several people at the company tell WIRED.<\/p>\n

Two employees describe a widespread rush to use up an annual $2,000 flexible benefit, which can cover a variety of expenses including health and wellness activities. A separate triennial credit of $200 toward the purchase of audio gear has led to a scramble to purchase Apple AirPods and other headphones. Another source says Meta offices have been largely empty this week, as people prioritize polishing their r\u00e9sum\u00e9s and gather offsite to commiserate with friends for what may be their final time as colleagues. Employees are variously \u201cparalyzed,\u201d \u201ccoasting,\u201d and \u201cpanicked,\u201d sources say.<\/p>\n

Meta plans to lay off about 10 percent of its nearly 80,000 employees on Wednesday, with notices going out to affected workers\u2019 personal and corporate email addresses at 4 am in their local time zone, according to a company-wide memo sent on Monday. The cuts are coming at a time when the social media giant behind Instagram, WhatsApp, and Facebook is enjoying record-high profits.<\/p>\n

But CEO Mark Zuckerberg insists that the company must free up cash to invest in AI data centers, and that Meta can perform just as well with fewer employees because of AI technologies that augment human labor.<\/p>\n

Meta didn\u2019t immediately respond to a request for comment for this story. The company has undergone three previous large rounds of layoffs since 2022, including as part of Meta\u2019s one-time \u201cyear of efficiency<\/a>\u201d drive in 2023. But even though the latest round is smaller than a couple of those, it is drawing widespread scrutiny because it comes at a time of societal anxiety about AI\u2019s impact on jobs<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Inside Meta, the imminent cuts are among several concerns that have sunk morale to unprecedented depths, according to 16 current and former employees who recently spoke to WIRED<\/a>. Employees also have been frustrated by being \u201cdrafted\u201d onto a new AI team without any choice and the rollout of surveillance software<\/a> that tracks US workers\u2019 laptop use to train AI models.<\/p>\n

Meta also plans to internally restructure as it conducts sweeping layoffs, transferring 7,000 remaining staff to \u201cAI initiatives\u201d and converting more managers into individual contributors. That would bring the total number of those affected\u2014either laid off or placed in a new role\u2014to 20 percent of the current workforce, Reuters reported<\/a> on Monday. WIRED independently confirmed this reporting. Some parts of the company have been told they won\u2019t be affected at all.<\/p>\n

But in recent days, employees who are bracing for changes have shared checklists internally about benefits to take advantage of, and are saving documents such as performance reviews and pay stubs, according to one worker. Some teams are meeting up at bars and restaurants near Meta offices in New York and Menlo Park on Tuesday and Wednesday to eat and drink away their sorrows, several employees said. Management has encouraged employees not to come into offices on Wednesday.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n


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Ahead of Meta\u2019s latest round of mass layoffs tomorrow, some employees are deserting offices, abandoning their work, and loading up on perks they might soon lose, several people at the company tell WIRED. 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